Cocktails, Whiskey, Whiskey

Hot Chocolate Old Fashioned

Sip on this perfect Hot Chocolate Old Fashioned by the fire as the ultimate grown-up treat. Richly flavored and silky smooth, this hot chocolate cocktail gets topped off with torched marshmallows for a cozy little touch.

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Hot Chocolate Old Fashioned

This cute and homey recipe is perfect for the winter season. This drink is a bit sweeter than a traditional old-fashioned while still letting the bourbon shine through. If you are a whiskey AND chocolate lover, this is the cocktail you didn’t know you needed.

My Hot Chocolate Old Fashioned is excellent because it is super simple to make. There’s no need to make homemade hot chocolate mix from scratch. Between this and my Spiked & Spicy Hot Chocolate, you’re covered for the holiday season.

Recipe Ingredients

Bourbon: Pick a high quality bourbon or whiskey. This is really the star of the recipe, so go for a great-tasting bourbon or whiskey with caramel/vanilla flavors. I used Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Homemade Hot Chocolate Syrup: See ingredients below!
Chocolate bitters: I used Scrappy’s Bitters Chocolate Bitters.
Toasted marshmallows: To garnish with.

For the Hot Chocolate Syrup

Hot Chocolate Mix: I used the one from Nestle with marshmallows.
Granulated white sugar: I like C&H.
Water

Tools & Equipment List

You can check out my favorite glasses here.

How to Make It

Make the hot chocolate syrup:

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Chill before using it.

Make the cocktail:

Add bourbon, hot chocolate syrup, and chocolate bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
Stir the ingredients gently for 30 seconds to chill and dilute the cocktail.
Stain the mix into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with skewered marshmallows and carefully toast them with a culinary torch.

Sipping Tips & FAQs

Chill the glass:

This just enhances the sipping experience.

Can I make a mocktail version?

Replace the whiskey with a high-quality non-alcoholic whiskey alternative and use chocolate syrup or bitters made for mocktails. You may need to adjust the sweetness.

Can I use chocolate liqueur instead of bitters?

Yes, but use it sparingly because the liqueurs are sweeter and can overwhelm the drink. You may want to use less hot chocolate syrup to balance the sweetness.

Make Ahead and Storage Notes

Hot chocolate syrup: Make the syrup ahead and let it cool. You can store it in the fridge for a week. Keep it in an airtight container like a glass bottle.

Pre-batched cocktails: Mix the whiskey, choc bitters and syrup. Keep it in the fridge for about 24 hours. Shake or stir the ingredients together before using it in the cocktail.

More Festive Recipes to Try

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